Living With A Divided Heart

"You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." James 4:3-10

Why are we called adulterous? Because we have another love besides God.

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." - 1 John 2:15

How do you know when that is the case? When you make choices that are contrary to the teachings of the Bible or that are counter to the leading of the Holy Spirit. When confronted with those choices, we should choose God.  Why would we not choose God? Because we love the world more. We, who are God's own possession, have abandoned Him and embraced another love - the world. Don 't want to think about it that way? That won't change the truth.

Why are we called double minded? 

"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." James 1:6-8

Because we cannot make up our minds. Do I follow God or follow the desires of my flesh. The problem we have is a love problem.

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Matthew 22:36-37

The meaning of the word "All" is "All"! There is no room for any other devotion as a Christian. 

"All to Jesus I surrender. All to Him I daily live. I will ever love and trust Him. In His presence daily live. I surrender All. I surrender All. All to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender All." - I Surrender All Judson W. Van DeVenter, 1896 - Public Domain.

You can live with a divided heart, but to do that you must be content with your sin. How can that be when we have so great a gift you ask? Actually. and unfortunately, it is quite common. It is the great deception form hell. You believe that you are walking by faith when, in fact, you are living in sin.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone